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History of the Treasury
Secretaries of the Treasury
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James A. Baker, III
(1985 - 1988)
Former Chief of Staff under President Reagan, James Baker,
III (b.1930) was appointed as the sixty-seventh Secretary of the Treasury
on February 3, 1985, exchanging jobs with Secretary Donald Regan. A lawyer
by training, he practiced law in Houston with the firm of Andrews & Kurth
for more than twenty years. His introduction to Washington came when President
Ford appointed him Under Secretary of Commerce. Considered a savvy political
strategist, he also served on President Ford's campaign staff as Deputy
Chairman for Delegate Operations and four months later as the National Chairman
of the President Ford Committee.
From January 1979 to May 1980 he served as national
chairman of the George Bush for President Committee. During his tenure
as Treasury Secretary, Baker is credited with guiding a major tax reform
bill through Congress in 1986. His efforts in encouraging international
economic cooperation by lowering the value of the dollar encouraged the
sale of American products abroad. He was described as "the guy who rose
to the challenge of international policy coordination" because of his
efforts to encourage economic cooperation between the United States, Canada,
Western Europe, and Japan. Secretary Baker resigned on August 17, 1988
to become Chairman of the Bush campaign and in 1989 became Secretary of
State.
About the Artist
Everett Raymond Kinstler studied at the Art Student
League in New York. He began his professional art career by illustrating
such characters as the Shadow and Hopalong Cassidy. He has maintained
a home and studio in the National Arts Club on Gramercy Park for more
than thirty years. Kinstler paints his portraits from sittings and from
photographs that he takes himself so that he captures the pose and expression
that will be depicted in the portrait. This portrait of Baker was painted
during four sittings, which took place at the State Department. Kinstler
remembered that it was not unusual for the sittings with Baker to be canceled
at the last minute because of Baker's involvement with the Persian Gulf
War. In addition to having painted President Ford's portrait, Kinstler
recently painted the official White House portrait of Ronald Reagan.
Office of the Curator
All rights reserved. 2001
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